Illuminating means



Nov. 1, 1932. s, J, MONK 1,885,279

ILLUMINATING MEANS Filed June 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 1, 19.32. s, J ONK y1,885,279

ILLUMINATING MEANS Filed June 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QM 4,6 t; l A jy f 44. m l2 if) 42 Sidney lMon/a,

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 f UNITED 3, easy to manufacturei different design.

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Olne of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel structure' made up of' which can be shipped in'knockdown condiy tion and readily assembled by Vthe purchaser, the parts in themselves being simple and In the accompanying drawings: n Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the linvention illustrating' one design the candle elementsmay taker Figure 2 is a similar view but showing a Figure .8 isa detail vertical longitudinal. sectional View on an enlarged scale through a portion of the structure in order to illustrate the parts thereof and their relation when in assembled condition. Y

vFigures 4 and 5 are cross sectional vviews respectively on thelines and 5*-5 of Figure 3'.-

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the holding bar with the channelclosure strip removed. i Y

Figure Tis a vertical sectional View through a slightly modified form of construction.`

Figure 8 is a similar view of another `mod-iication. ,Y 1

Figure 9'is a cross' sectional view of one of the tubular supports.

In the embodiment disclosedin Figures 1-'6 clusi e the fixture 's of the ed stal tve m V j 1 'p e p ets, and lie in the Vchannels 17 The termiincludingY a base member designated eener- D b b ally by the reference numeral 9,. carrying a plurality of holders 10` having socket 'ele-` ments 11 for the reception of the usual small electric lamps such as are used for decorative purposes.

VThe base member consists'of a platform 12 on which is a standard 13, and mounted on thepupper end of the said*v standard is a holding bar 14., The three lparts 12,13 `and 141 are separable.` The .standard 13 4vis .Y mounted onthe b a'se 1 2 by dowelsl which, however, are preferably not glued orother- `wise fastened in place, so that the parts 12 and 13 are readily separable. The holding ybar isprovided in its ,upper side with a pluralitynof vertical, andA therefore, transverse-1y disposed socket-$16.l The underside of thebar hasa longitudinal channel 17, and

Vthis channel is in communication withthe bottoms of the sockets 16 through openings 18 of less area than the sockets. Consequently said sockets have bottoms. The rear side of the ,bar 1s verticallyslotted, as shown Iat 19, and these slots intersect the channelsul?,

the` sockets 16, and the openings 18 (seeFig-v ure 4) p The supports 10 are tubular form, `and have' their lower ends seated'in the sockets .16,` restingon the bottoms thereof. These tubular supports are not cementedxr otherwise 'tastenevd'in the sockets, except as hereinafter explained and aretherefore readily *detachable `from the'bar. The supports constitute simulations of candles. They are 1ongitudinally slotted, as shown at In their upper ends Yare located electric lamp'socket elements 11 y.having {ianges 21'that reston the upper ends of the said tubularsupports 10. In the sockets of these elements are the electric lamps'2`2`,

The socket elements 11 are mountedfon and connected toelectrical conducting wires v23 and are preferably, though not'iiecessarily lcoupled up in series. As a consequenceqone line of wires consists of sections extending from'one socket element to the next, and when in assembled condition, these wires ci# tendlongitudinally through the supports .10, through the bottom openings 18A of the sock-- nal wires 24 `(see Figurejt) leading romthe outermost set of socket elements, are`brioiight finto the channel 17 andinay be eftended from the bar throughfany of theslOts 19.' VThe Wires 23 are somewhat longer than the length of the supports 10 Yand the distance between the openings 18. This allows suilieientwire l to permitwthe `assembly of the parts. After ends of the supports 10 and to hold the said supports effectively in their respective sockets 16.

The side walls of the channel 17 (see Figures 4 and 5) are internally and longitudinally grooved, asshown at 26 to slidably receive a bottom closure strip 27 for said channel 17. As a consequence it will be noted that the side walls of' the channel extend below the strip 27, formingspaceddepending flanges 28. The upper end of the standard 13 engages between the said flanges 28 and v is rested upon by the strip 27, as shown in Figure 5. To hold the bar 14 on the standard 13, a dowel pin 29 is inserted in the upper end of the standard 13 and passes through the strip 27, across the channel 17, and into a socket 30 in the bar above said channel and between two of the sockets 16. It will be understood that this dowel 29 is preferably not glued or fastened in place so that the bar 14 and standard 13 can be readily separated. When assembled h0wever,'it will be evident that the strip 27 cannot slide in the grooves 26, but is held by the dowel 29.

` This structure, as disclosed, has a wide range of adaptability and is of a knockdown character, so that it can be compactly arranged for shipment. More than that, it can be easily set up by the purchaser in a variety of designs. It will be understood that the electrical portion comprising the wiring and socket elements 11 is a standard unit, which can be bought in the open market andv is commercially used for Christmas tree lighting. This device in its entirety can be readily placed in the structure and is readily removed. The connecting wires 23 between the socket elements 11 are passed through the slots 19 of the bar and the slots 2O of the tubular supports 10, the said Wires being long enough to permit the socket elements 11 being brought over and inserted into the upper or outer ends of the supports. The wires 23 are then drawn downwardly and the closure strip 27 being removed, the wire is twisted, as shown at 25. Consequently said wires, as heretofore explained, perform a triple function, to-wit, 1, a conductor for electric current; 2, a means for holding the socket elements 11 in the supports 10; 3, a means for maintaining the supports 10 in the sockets 16. Having assembled the parts, the closure strip 27 is placed in position, the pedestal structure is assembled, and the bar is mounted thereon. By using supports 10 of different lengths, the design of the structure can be altered in a great many ways. Thus as shown in Figure 1, the longest supports are placed centrally and the others in stepped relation towards the ends, but these may be reversed, for example, as illustrated in Figure 2.

A slightly different modification .of the structure is shown in Figure y7. Inthis case the platform 31 has removably mounted y ordinary lamp. By reason of the use of three supports, one of the sockets 35 is centrally located. Consequently two dowels 40 are employed between the standard 33 and the bar 34, these being located on opposite sides of the central socket but passing through the strip 37 and securing the same in place as heretofore explained.

Still another embodiment of the invention is illustrated inFigure 8. Therein the platform is designated 41, and has detachably doweled to it, as shown at 42, a standard 43. The holding bar is shown at 44, and in this instance is set at an inclination, the top of the standard 43 being beveled as illustrated at 45 for the purpose. The sockets 46 are also bored at an inclination, but otherwise the structure is substantially the same as that already described and therefore itis believed needs no further exposition.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim, is:

1. An illuminating device comprising a base member having bottomed sockets, tubular supports that 'detachably and interchangeably engage in the sockets against the bottoms thereof, a plurality of lamp holding socket elements that abut the free ends of the supports and are removable therefrom, and a plurality of wires to which the socket elements are permanently attached and form therewith a current conducting unit, said base member and tubular supports having means -for permitting the introduction and removal of the` wires with the lamp sockets attached and the introduction and removal of the lat ter to and from the supports respectively, the wires connecting the socket elements being sufiiciently long to extend through the tubular supports and between the sockets and having a surplus amount to be twisted and thereby act as means to hold the supports in the sockets and the socket elements in the supports.

2. In an illuminating device, a pedestal including a holder having transverse sockets in its upper side, a longitudinal channel in its lower side having communication with the sockets, a closure Vfor the lower side of thechannel slidably mounted on the holder, a standard for the holder, and a pin securing the holder and standard together and en gaging the closure.

3,. An illuminating device, comprising a holding bar having transverse sockets in its upper side and a longitudinal vchannel in its lower side, tubular supports in the sockets, socket elements in the tubular supports, wires for the socket elements in the tubular supports and channel, a Closure for the channel slidably mounted on the bar, a standard on which the bar is supported, and a dowel extending upwardly from the standard through the closure and into the bar.

4. An illuminating device comprising a holding .bar having transverse sockets in yits upper side and a longitudinal channel in its lower side, tubular supports in the sockets, socket elements in the tubular supports, wires for the socket elements in the tubular supports and channel, a closure strip for the channel slidably mounted on the bar and located above its lower side, leaving a portion of said channel below the strip, a standard having its upper end fitted into the channel below the strip, and a fastener for the standard passing from the standard through the strip and into the bar.

In testimony whereof, ture.

I affix my ysigna- SIDNEY J. MoNK. 

